My heart, not to mention my belly, is warmed that there is a holiday called “Thanksgiving,” yet I’m not excited by what it’s evolving into. It’s morphed recently from a grand family day of celebration to let’s stand in line at Walmart to see if we can get an X-Box.

It seems to be the most inclusive, secular holiday we have, yet its traditions are being challenged by the lure of culture.

I’m not going to start a petition drive to outlaw the banning of retail stores opening on Thanksgiving, but I am protesting.

I will call this protest “What if they had a sale and nobody came?”

There’s no doubt I’m going to lose this battle, but I will take solace in the fact that the practice hasn’t won my heart.

Aside from hunger and money, I don’t see too much of a difference between a homeless person in the street on Thanksgiving and the person waiting outside Target for the “Doorbuster” savings on Thanksgiving night. Both are losing.

I guess I can sum up my mini-rant this way: I’m thankful that we live in a country where we’re free to choose; I’m just not crazy about the new choices.

Happy Thanksgiving,

John